


How Best to Break You

by Adventures_in_Writing



Category: Red vs. Blue
Genre: Angst, M/M, Tuckington - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-14
Updated: 2015-03-14
Packaged: 2018-03-17 18:32:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3539699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Adventures_in_Writing/pseuds/Adventures_in_Writing
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Although he wanted to make their lives miserable, Felix truly wanted to break Tucker so badly that he wouldn’t be able to go on. He grinned when he remembered that Control had given him the one thing he needed for that.</p>
<p>Washington.</p>
<p>After spending weeks listening to Tucker go on and on about Blue team’s leader, Felix knew that he had everything he needed right here to hit Tucker, and hit him so hard that he wouldn’t be getting up again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	How Best to Break You

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt I received on Tumblr requesting sad heartbreaking Tuckington set after S12 involving Felix and a video feed. (It was a little more specific than that but...spoilers.)

Felix had been pissed off. More than pissed off. He was practically livid. Those damn Reds and Blues had been ripe for the picking but then shit went wrong and Locus was all about protocol so the two mercenaries hightailed it out of there before anything else could go wrong.   
  
After all, Control had backup plans for their backup plans. Control wasn’t just a code name.   
  
"They were right there, Locus! Wounded and pathetic and weak and perfect targets! We could have taken them out and fixed this problem right up. But no. Oh, no, you had get all soldier-boy on me and follow protocol because you’re the _perfect soldier_.”  
  
"Felix."   
  
He yelled in rage and punched the wall. “And now not only do we have to fix this up, but my sweet revenge on Tucker was ruined. That was the best part! I’ll never get another chance as perfect as that! I wanted to see that moron’s face crumble as—”  
  
"Felix," Locus interrupted, his tone a little more terse this time. "Your revenge doesn’t have to wait. I had orders to take Agent Washington dead or alive. It would seem that Control had business with him."  
  
That brightened the mercenary’s mood. “Had business, you say?”  
  
"I believe Agent Washington is," Locus paused as though looking for the right phrase. "No longer useful."  
  
The grin that crossed Felix’s face was terrifying. Locus knew that it wouldn’t bode well for Washington, but he followed orders to the letter. He had been instructed to take Washington alive, if possible, to see if he was of any use. If not, they mercenaries were to dispose of Washington. Even though Locus believed that keeping Washington would be advantageous to them, Control hadn’t changed the order. Breaking people was a delicate art and Locus didn’t think that removing Agent Washington from the picture was the right way to go about it. However, Locus was a soldier and excellent soldiers followed orders no matter what their own opinions were.  
  
  
"Is that so?" Felix asked.  
  
Locus could hear the joy in his voice. He knew that Felix would be thinking of ideas right this second on what to do with the man now in their ‘care’. In a rare moment, Locus felt sorry for Washington and the Reds and Blues. Once Felix was done with whatever plan he concocted, they wouldn’t be the same.   
  
Felix suddenly felt like he was back in the game and already he was thinking of all the possibilities. How best to get back at those insufferable idiots? How best to shake and upheave their resolve so badly that they would crumble? How best to completely _destroy_ them? Although he wanted to make their lives miserable, he truly wanted to break Tucker so badly that he wouldn’t be able to go on. Felix grinned when he remembered that Control had given him the one thing he needed for that.   
  
Washington.  
  
After spending weeks listening to Tucker go on and on about Blue team’s leader, Felix knew that he had everything he needed right here to hit Tucker, and hit him so hard that he wouldn’t be getting up again.  
  


~~~~~

  
  
When Tucker awoke he was back in the rebel base, bandages wrapped around his stomach and Caboose at his side.  
  
"Oh! Tucker! You’re awake! Do you feel okay? Do you hurt anywhere? Do you want me to get the nice Doctor Lady?" Caboose spoke quickly and in a hushed voice, trying not to be too loud.   
  
Tucker coughed, his throat a little dry, before answering. “Nah, I’m good Caboose.”   
  
He tried sitting up but winced when pain shot through him. If getting stabbed was going to hurt that much he would have tried a little harder to avoid it. He settled back against the pillows and closed his eyes briefly. Something didn’t feel right.  
  
"The doctor said you should probably not move too much for a couple of days. She said that although they had a healing unit, your wound will probably be tender for a little while.”  
  
Tucker was surprised Caboose had remembered all the info. He looked to Caboose, an eyebrow raised in question.  
  
"I was listening carefully," Caboose smiled.  
  
Tucker glanced around the room. It was empty save for him and Caboose right now.   
  
"Where is everyone?"   
  
He was expecting to see at least Blue team and Palomo here, perhaps even Donut. During their time in the desert the two had a chance to get to know each other a little more and Tucker liked to think they were at least friendly towards one another.   
  
Caboose wrung his hands together. It was a gesture he made when he had something that he didn’t want to say. Tucker had been around him long enough to know something was wrong.  
  
"Caboose?" Panic started to rise in Tucker’s chest. "What happened?"  
  
The tallest of the Blues didn’t say anything. A monitor still attached to Tucker started to beep wildly as his heart raced with fear. He didn’t want to but his mind seemed to think of every single worst-case scenario it could. Was Grif okay? And Simmons?  
  
"Caboose! What’s going on?"  
  
"Tucker, calm down…"  
  
"What the fuck happened?!"   
  
The shout, along with the beeping monitor brought Carolina and Doctor Grey rushing into the room. Tucker struggled to sit up. His struggles grew more frantic when he wasn’t able to lift himself. What about Sarge? And Carolina? No. No, no, no. He couldn’t lose anyone again. Even those idiot reds. He had actually grown fond of them recently.  
  
“Was someone injured?!”  
  
What about Wash?  
  
"You need to calm down, Tucker," Doctor Grey tried to explain. "You’ll open the wound again. Calm _down_ , Captain! Caboose, would you mind?”   
  
"I’m sorry, Tucker," he said before pinning him to the bed so Emily could inject the sedative into his thigh. Caboose continued to hold Tucker still whilst the drug set in.  
  
"Sleep, Tucker. You need it," she glanced at Carolina and Caboose before leaving the room.  
  
"But—"  
  
Tucker still struggled a little but his movements were sluggish and weak. As his eyes grew heavy, Carolina crouched by the bed into his view. Her green eyes were filled with an inexplicable sadness and strangely, she placed a warm hand on his shoulder.  
  
"It’s Wash, Tucker. They got him."  
  
Although tiredness was close to overwhelming him, he had heard her words. He didn’t want to believe it, but the way she looked at him, the way she had softly, gently told him…  
  
"Wash…"  
  
Tucker was never really sure if he had cried before drifting off to sleep and no one ever had the heart to tell him.

 

~~~~~

 

Things came back to Washington in flashes: the face-off against the Locus and Washington’s resulting defeat, Locus hauling him over a shoulder as the two mercenaries made their escape and the hilt of Felix’s knife expertly cracking against his skull knocking him out cold.

He had come to at various points along the way but they had made sure to blindfold and bind his hands and feet. Wash had no idea here he was or where they were taking him but he was assuming that wherever it was, Control would be there.

Hargrove.

The man that Washington had kinda-sorta double crossed by faking his own death.

Things probably weren’t going to go very well and he doubted that he’d be lucky enough to get thrown into prison again.

Washington had no idea how many days it had been since he had been taken, he had no idea if it was night or day or even if they were still on Chorus. He usually had one meal a day (if they remembered) and was generally kept in a tiny storage room with naught in there but a blanket. They kept him blindfolded and he was only allowed out of the room for irregular bathroom breaks.

He supposed it could have been worse.

That is until he was one day rudely awoken by a bucket of ice cold water being thrown over him and he found himself strapped to a chair, unable to move.

“What…?” He blinked his eyes open, unused to having the blindfold removed. He squinted as he tried to look around the room.

“Rise and shine Agent Washington! Today’s going to be a great day.”

He knew that voice well.

“Felix. Where’s your buddy, Locus?”

Felix stepped out from behind the chair, dropping the bucket to the floor. “Oh, don’t you worry about him, Wash. This is just a little affair between the two of us. You see, I’ve got a bone to pick with your Captain Tucker. I’m sure you can understand. After all, I remember what you two were like back in the jungle. Always bickering and fighting…” he sighed, “I mean, I’m surprised you didn’t just kill him off already. And Caboose…don’t even get me started on that one.”

“What do you want, Felix?” Wash didn’t have time for Felix’s stupid monologues. The mercenary must have loved the sound of his own voice to keep talking so much.

“What I want is my next paycheck. And a little revenge to go along with it. Do you know what the best part is, Wash?”

“What?”

“It’s almost show time!” Felix laughed. Oh, this would be _good_. He couldn’t wait to hear the surprise in Tucker’s voice. He couldn’t wait to see the pain and anguish on his face,

Wash was confused. Show time? He looked straight ahead at a screen that was currently turned off and sitting on top, he could see the camera that was pointed right at him.

Show time.

“You know, Tucker is going to be so _pleased_ to see you! Did you know that it’s been a month since then? A whole month that you’ve been wish us, Wash,” Felix chuckled. “My, how time flies when you’re having _fun_. And let me tell you, it’s been an absolute _blast_ coming up with this. Locus, could you patch us through, please? We’ll finally get to see if that aqua coloured loser is alive! Oh, right. Forgot to mention, Tucker took a hit trying to stall for time. I mean, it was really brave of him to try and stop me like that, truly, but who was he kidding? I sure hope he isn’t dead because then all of this would be wasted. And that would be an absolute shame now, wouldn’t it?”

There was a crackle from the speakers as Locus patched through a call.

“Identify yourself,” came a stern, female voice.

“Vanessa! You’re sounding as pleasant as always.”

“…Felix…”

“Look, I’d love to chat with you but I’ve got some…personal… business with Captain Tucker. Could you put him on the line? Oh, and make sure you’ve got a monitor. I have something he’d be _dying_ to see.”

 

~~~~~

 

Carolina had broken the news of Wash’s capture to him twice: once when he had just woken up, and a second time when he was a little more stable. Tucker hadn’t taken it well. At first, he’d escaped the hospital a number of times, intent on going after Felix and Locus himself. Tucker could be surprisingly determined when he set his mind to something and he refused to just lay there in the hospital while one of his teammates was captive. It had taken Caboose clinging to him begging him not to go to make Tucker stop. Caboose had said he could understand what it was like to have someone important taken from you and although Church wasn’t technically taken, Tucker had an inkling that Caboose was talking about Alpha.The guilt trip Caboose had sent him on saying if Tucker died then he would have no one had helped him reconsider a solo rescue mission whilst horribly injured too.

He had almost given up hope on ever finding, or even hearing about, Washington and the worst thing was that Wash would never know just how badly Tucker needed to see him again.

It was hard to get into the swing of things once he’d decided to stay back and heal. Last time he was leading the troops he had a purpose: find Wash and the rest of the Reds. What did he have now? He could hardly walk up stairs, let alone lead a squad. If they went to Charon Industries now, he’d have to stay behind with the trainee medics because what use was a wounded and emotionally broken solider on the field?

Tucker had never seen Kimball so dishevelled before. Well, there was that one time he’d unexpectedly stopped by her office late one night and accidentally walked in on something, but aside from that, this was the first time. She had barged into his room unannounced and pulled off her helmet in a rush, her brown hair messed up due to her haste. Her lips were pressed into a thin line as she regarded him with concerned blue eyes that matched the colour of her armour.

“Tucker I—” Kimball didn’t know how to start.

“If you want tips on some moves that Carolina might like…”

“No, no,” she quickly interjected. “It’s not about that. And even if I did need pointers, I wouldn’t get them from you. I got a call. From Felix.”

Tucker moved so fast that he doubled over, wrapping an arm around his stomach as pain seared through him. He gritted his teeth and straightened slightly, trying to bear the pain. When Kimball moved to help, he hold an arm up signalling her to leave him be.

“What does he want?”

“He wants to talk to you.”

 

~~~~~

 

Felix idly sharpened his favourite knife whilst Kimball ran along to go and find Tucker. Waiting was the absolute worst but, he reasoned, this wait would be oh so very worth it. He pushed himself away from the desk and moved in front of the monitor, flicking it on. He adjusted the camera so he was in the centre of the screen and grinned. Perfect.

“You know, Wash, if I wasn’t in this line of work I think I’d be a movie star. The camera loves me. I mean, look at me. Just…wow.”

He heard the sound of Kimball’s office door opening and he stepped away from the camera. Felix hadn’t decided if he’d toy with Wash a little first, or if he’d just go straight for the kill. Felix wasn’t really all that keen on torture and Wash wasn’t in the greatest condition to play. With how Wash was now, semi-broken and distant, Felix would grow bored very, very quickly. He moved away to the back of the room, but out of frame, to grab the piece of equipment that he needed.

“Hey, asshole. I heard you wanted to talk,” Tucker announced before he’d even got to the computer. Felix chuckled to himself as he saw Wash raise his head ever so slightly when he heard the familiar voice. From where he was positioned, Felix has a decent view of the screen and he couldn’t wait to see Tucker’s reaction in three…two…

Tucker sat heavily in Kimball’s chair, a frown on his face as he glared at the screen expecting to see Felix’s goddamn face. What he saw instead was Wash tied securely to a wooden chair. His arms were bound behind his back, the rope cutting into his arms and across his chest. His legs were planted squarely on the ground, each one tied to the leg of chair. Wash’s head was lowered, as though he were ashamed to look up at the screen to see Tucker.

The words left Tucker’s mouth before he even realised what it was he was saying and Felix was inexplicably pleased to see anger turn to shock turn to pain.

“Wash!”

He looked awful. There were fading bruises on his temple and along his jaw and when he finally looked up, Wash’s eyes had the darkest circles Tucker had ever seen beneath them. The lighting in the room wasn’t too bright but Tucker thought Wash looked paler than usual, the result of being kept in the dark maybe? Wash was usually rather particular about keeping his hair short but it was now down to his jawline in an unkempt mess. There was less muscle on Wash than when Tucker last saw him and his clothes were hanging loosely from his frame. Tucker could see that Wash had barely been eating, but what else could they have done to him? Was Washington in pain right now? Tucker leaned a little closer to the monitor to try and see.

“Wash…”

“You’re alive…”

There was the barest hint of a smile at Washington’s lips.

“What have they done to you?” Tucker asked, resisting the urge to reach out and touch the screen.

Wash continued on as though Tucker hadn’t spoken. “I’m so glad you’re alive.” When he had learned that Tucker had been injured, Wash had assumed the worst. They’d been out in the middle of nowhere and no-one knew where they were. Carolina had been hit pretty badly, and if any of the others had been injured, there had only been one Doctor. Even if she was good, she could only do so much with limited supplies. A stab wound from someone as good as Felix could very easily be fatal.  
“You’ve got no idea, Tucker, how happy I am to see you.”

“Well, isn’t this just the most touching thing you’ve ever seen?” Felix cut in. “I think I need a tissue to dry my tears. It’s good to see you, Tucker. Still alive and kicking I see.”

“Show yourself, Felix.”

“Nah, I’ve got a great view here.”

“Why’s that? Can you see yourself on the fucking screen or something? Or is it so you can fucking monologue me to death for real this time?”

Felix grinned even though Tucker wasn’t able to see it. “No. It’s so I can watch your face whilst I have some fun with someone you love.” He’d have to be an idiot not to have noticed it. Tucker cared about Wash, for some reason, and that’s what made this so beautiful.

Tucker saw something flash at the side of the screen and he quickly shifted forward in his seat with a shout.  
“No! Don’t!”

Wash blinked at the shout. What? He glanced at his shoulder where one of Felix’s blades was buried to the hilt. It took a few moments for his brain to register the fact that there was a knife in his shoulder but when it did… Wash turned away from the source of the pain, inhaling deeply trying to control it. He was aware of blood quickly seeping through his shirt.

“Not quite the reaction I had in mind,” Felix mused. “I wonder how many I can throw before it gets to be too much?” He had no real intention of using Wash as a dart board, but it was so much fun trying to rile Tucker up.

“Why are you doing this?” Tucker asked.

“Why do you think I’m doing it, Tucker? You ruined our plans and fucked up my chances of a very nice, very large sum of money. I’m willing to bet Wash could easily take three or four knives. Assuming I don’t hit anything vital. “

Inwardly, Tucker panicked. He didn’t want to have to see that happen again. His stomach rolled at the thought of another knife sailing through the air embedding itself in an arm or a leg, or worse. Think! Keep Felix occupied. The mercenary’s main problem was that he could be easily distracted if you were subtle enough about it. Hopefully, if he kept Felix talking, he could…he could…What could he do? He was one wounded soldier on the other side of a computer screen whilst Felix, the insane bastard, threatened Wash.

“Couldn’t we just talk about it? Maybe we could work something out?”

“Tucker, the time for talking is over and you missed your chance to leave this god-forsaken planet as a whole team. Without extra holes in it,” he added as an after thought, “You brought this on yourself, Tucker. Its your fault that Wash is in this situation. You ready for another, Wash? Why don’t you try dodging it this time? Give me a challenge.”

“Wait! Fuck… Look, I know we screwed up. We can work something out. Just…”

Felix had picked up another knife and had been toying with it, tossing it up and down. He caught it hilt first and paused.

“Just…?” Felix couldn’t keep the smile off of his face. He knew what was coming. Oh, he knew what was coming and it filled him with such joy it took almost everything to remain nonchalant. Any moment now Tucker was going to give in and beg him to spare Wash. To stop this madness and just let Wash go. Oh! Maybe Tucker would even sacrifice himself and offer to trade. Wouldn’t that be something?

“Just stop and we can talk. Maybe come up with a trade or compromise. A bunch of alien tech for Wash. Or I dunno, a continent or something. What do you want?”

Felix gripped the knife tightly. This was not what he wanted or what he was expecting. Tucker was someone who was impulsive. Someone who didn’t really think before acting. When did Tucker actually start thinking and trying to negotiate?

“You think I’m gonna trade Wash for some alien tech?” he laughed. “No way. There’s nothing in this world I’d trade for the look on your face every time I say I’m going to throw a knife.”

To illustrate his point, Felix threw a second blade. Scratch what he’d just said. There was nothing he would trade for the look on Tucker’s face whenever he really did throw a knife. It was almost glorious seeing Tucker’s eyes widen, watching how his body tensed, seeing how he flinched as Wash gasped with pain and twitched as his bound body tried to jerk away from the object. He slumped forward as blood oozed from the newest of his wounds and Tucker had to look away.

“This is much more boring than I had thought it would be.” To be honest, Felix had thought that Tucker would have lost it. That he would be swearing and shouting and shaking the monitor demanding that Felix give Wash back or else. To find Tucker relatively calm and collected had ruined his fun. The flashes of fear and concern on his face were nice though, but Felix had wanted more.

“What do you want Felix? Alien tech and a continent? Doyle? You can have him if you want. A new com tower? What do you want? We can talk about this…”

Wash coughed and when he looked up, blood was trickling from his mouth.  
“Tucker…stop.”

“No. We’re going to find you, Wash. We’re going to find you and you’re gonna be okay.”

“I don’t…” Wash was struggling for breath as he spoke. That second knife that Felix had thrown must have punctured his lung. It was difficult to breathe. He was bleeding more quickly now and if someone didn’t see to him soon, Tucker knew that if it wasn’t blood loss that knocked him unconscious, then lack of oxygen would.

“Shh…”

“I don’t want…you to…remember me…like this,” he coughed.

Felix watched the exchange closely. It was a bunch of sentimental sap but a golden opportunity had presented itself. Quieter than a pelican free-falling with the engines cut, Felix crept closer to Wash, aiming one of the reverse engineered rifles. From just behind Wash, Tucker sees Felix lift the rifle and take aim.

“Tucker, I l—”

“No!”

Tucker was never able to hear Wash finish his sentence. Right before his eyes, in one God awful instant, Wash had been disintegrated, turned into ash that he would never be able to find and bring home. He hadn’t seen or heard or touched Wash in over a month, and now…

The look of absolute terror on Tucker’s face, eyes wide as he jumped up from his seat and grasped the computer monitor was something that Felix would never forget. Nor would he forget the way Tucker’s voice cracked as he shouted, or how he stared at the screen with lifeless eyes as he all but collapsed into the chair.

Tucker wanted desperately to look away but for some reason he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the monitor. There was nothing left where Wash once sat, nothing but dust. He couldn’t believe what he had seen. Tucker doesn’t speak. He doesn’t move. He barely even breathes. The sound of that single gunshot rings in his ears loudly, as though he had been standing right next to Wash when it had been fired. The vision of Wash’s face, for that split second is burned into his mind. Tucker can’t stop shaking and it’s suddenly cold and all he can hear is that incomplete sentence followed by that one gunshot. The only thing he can see is Wash dying all alone, over and over, and all he can think is that Wash will never know, never be told, that he’s just so important that Tucker can’t think of ever living without him.

Tucker would never hear Washington’s “I love you.”

Wash would never hear Tucker’s “Me too.”

Tucker had lost the one thing that was most important to him and to Felix, that was worth more than anything.


End file.
